The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for automatically applying sealant material in an insulated glass assembly. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus that automatically changes its alignment criteria for different sizes of air spaces and also allows for differences in the sealant space caused by improper positioning of the spacer when manufacturing an insulated glass assembly.
Insulating glass includes an assembly of two sheets or panels of glass separated by one or more spacers so that there is a layer of insulating air between the two panels of glass. To seal in the insulating layer of air, a sealant material must be applied to each edge of the glass panels in the space formed between the spacer and the edges of the glass panels. In order to form a good seal, the two glass panels must be accurately aligned relative to each other, and, in addition, the spacer along each edge of the glass assembly must be properly spaced and aligned relative to the two glass panels. As a still further condition for forming a good seal, the glass assembly and spacers must be maintained in proper alignment while the sealant material is being applied thereto. Finally, the sealant material must be applied in such a way that it is uniform and covers the entire edge of the glass assembly.
The application of adhesive or other sealant material to substrates is well known and is particularly well known in the field of insulated glass assembly production. In the manufacturing of insulated glass, it is important to insure that the perimeter of a unit is completely sealed. If this is not done, the result is the ingress of moisture or debris which eventually leads to the premature degradation of an insulated glass assembly.
In view of this difficulty, the prior art has proposed numerous methods and various apparatus to insure uniform application of sealant material in the assemblies. Typical of the known arrangements are extrusion heads which are either automated or manual. One of the primary difficulties of the known arrangements is that the depth of the sealant material cannot be uniformly applied in width or depth about the perimeter. Further, the known arrangements are limited in that they do not positively avoid entrapment of air within the sealant material. A further limitation is that the most extreme perimeter of the sealant material cannot be perfectly perpendicular relative to the substrate surface. The result is surface irregularity about the perimeter as opposed to a smooth planar finish which is more desirable from an aesthetic point of view as well as from a structural point of view.
Although apparatus has been developed in the past for handling insulating glass assemblies and applying sealant material to the edges, such apparatus has not been totally satisfactory. In one prior art system, a stationary header applies the sealant material to the glass assembly as it moves along a work support. However, one of the problems of such an arrangement is that it is difficult to keep the glass assembly and spacers properly aligned, relative to each other as it moves relative to the stationary header. As a result, defects in the seal are likely to occur.
In another prior art arrangement, the sealant material is applied to a frame formed by aluminum spacers, and then the spacer frame with the sealant material applied thereto is taken to another station where the glass panels are adhered to the spacer frame. The glass assembly is then transferred to a vertically arranged heating and compression station to heat and compress the assembly. Such an arrangement is time consuming, expensive, requires many work stations and is not automatic. Accordingly, this system has also not been entirely satisfactory.
In view of the existing limitations in the sealant applying art, there exists a need for an improved method and apparatus for applying sealant to insulated glass assemblies.
Apparatus for automatically applying sealant material in an insulated glass assembly of various designs and configurations have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,029 to LAFOND discloses a method for applying sealant material between spaced-apart substrates in an insulated glass assembly using extrusion nozzles and smoothing plates. The smoothing plates move in concert with the extrusion nozzles to insure the uniform distribution of the sealant material from the spacer to the perimeter of the substrates. The smoothing plates insure a uniform and planar surface at the perimeter. This method of sealant application to the insulated glass assembly is automated, and accordingly, the sealant is applied in an expedited manner with a high degree of precision of uniformity. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the particular structure and design of the present invention of an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material between glass panels in an insulated glass assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,547 to LENHARDT discloses a process and apparatus for applying a sealing mass to seal the space between panels of insulating glass using a sealing nozzle. The apparatus includes at least one sealing nozzle and at least one covering and stripping plate. The stripping plate permits defect-free and bubble-free filling with a sealing material, even in the corner areas, in a uniform manner. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the particular structure and design of the present invention of an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material between glass panels in an insulated glass assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,914 to CHECKO discloses an apparatus for applying sealant material to an insulated glass assembly. The apparatus includes a work supporting table for receiving the glass assembly, and an aligning apparatus for properly orienting and aligning the glass panels and spacers of the glass assembly relative to each other and relative to a sealant applying nozzle/head. The sealant applying apparatus also includes a clamping assembly having clamping members for clamping the glass assembly in order to maintain the glass assembly in its properly aligned position so that the sealant material can be applied to the space between the perimeter edges of the glass assembly. The sealant applying head is mounted for movement relative to an edge of the glass assembly which includes a nozzle assembly for applying the sealant material to the glass assembly as it moves relative to it. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the particular structure and design of the present invention of an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material between glass panels in an insulated glass assembly.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,110,148; 4,145,237; 4,561,929; and 4,711,692 disclose other apparatus for sealing the edges of an insulated glass assembly with a sealant or adhesive material.
None of the prior art patents disclose or teach the design, structure and configuration of the present invention of an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material between glass panels in an insulated glass assembly. Further, the prior art patents do not disclose or teach the overall apparatus of the present invention that automatically applies sealant material to an insulated glass assembly having motorized dispensing nozzles with automatic valving; automatic size detection sensors; and pinch rollers to drive the glass panel assembly forward.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide of an improved apparatus that automatically applies sealant material around the perimeter of an insulated glass assembly consisting of two panels of glass separated by a spacer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly wherein the apparatus automatically or manually changes its alignment criteria for different sizes of air spaces, and allows for differences in the sealant space caused by improper positioning of the spacer when manufacturing the insulated glass assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly wherein the apparatus includes a vertical or horizontal platform having a plurality of input rollers thereon, and a pair of motorized dispensing nozzle heads having automatic valving thereon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly, wherein the apparatus contains two (2) sets of dispensing nozzle heads, so that one of the sets of dispensing nozzle heads moves around three (3) sides of the insulated glass assembly to apply the sealant material, and the other dispensing nozzle head moves along the fourth side of the insulated glass assembly to apply the sealant material thereto.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly wherein the apparatus further includes heated nozzles for keeping a corner hot during the application of the hot sealant material between the space formed by the pair of glass panels in order to avoid a cold joint during the sealing operation which provides a more uniform sealant application.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly wherein the apparatus also includes automatic (non-contact) size detection sensors for measuring the width and height of the insulated glass unit as it is being sealed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly wherein the apparatus additionally includes a pair of pinch rollers thereon for keeping the insulated glass unit together in order to avoid sealant material from entering the air space between the glass panels and also provides for the lateral movement of the glass panels during the sealing process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly wherein the dispensing nozzle heads are designed to change the alignment of the apparatus for different sizes of air spaces in order to eliminate expensive, complex and elaborate motion detector systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly wherein the dispensing nozzle heads are also designed to allow for differences in the sealant space which are caused by improper positioning of the spacer in order to eliminate the need for expensive, complex and elaborate space feedback sensors or space feedback mechanisms in the sealant applying apparatus of the present invention.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly wherein the dispensing nozzle heads, being at least two, allows for faster sealing of the insulated glass assembly as both the top and bottom sides of the glass assembly are sealed simultaneously using the two dispensing nozzle heads.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly which works for different sizes, shapes and thicknesses of glass units, with the benefit of increased efficiency due to lower maintenance and labor costs during change-overs for different sizes, shapes or thicknesses of the insulated glass assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly that utilizes an integrated electric system which automatically adjusts for the glass unit thickness chosen, thereby effectively eliminating operator error and variations for the different glass unit thicknesses of the insulated glass assembly being produced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly that minimizes down time and labor costs by enabling quick removal of jams, defective glass units or misapplied sealant materials to the glass unit during the operational use of the apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly that minimizes change-over time and set-up time by automatically and simultaneously adjusting the positions of the dispensing nozzle heads in regard to the glass units being processed.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that automatically applies sealant material in an insulated glass assembly that is simple to manufacture and assemble and is also more cost efficient during operational use.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for applying sealant material to an insulated glass panel assembly having first, second, third and fourth edges for receiving sealant material therein, having a sealant assembly for applying sealant material to the insulated glass panel assembly. A glass advance assembly is provided for advancing and moving forward the insulated glass panel assembly into the sealant assembly for applying sealant material thereto. The sealant assembly for applying sealant material includes a first sealant dispensing assembly and a second sealant dispensing assembly for applying sealant material to the first, second, third and fourth edges of the insulated glass panel assembly. The apparatus further includes an upper head slide sub-assembly for moving the first sealant dispensing assembly in an upward vertical direction for applying sealant material to the first edge of the insulated glass panel assembly, and in a downward vertical direction parallel to the upward direction for applying sealant material to the third edge of the insulated glass panel assembly. The apparatus also includes a pinch roller assembly for moving the insulated glass panel assembly through the sealant assembly while the first and second sealant dispensing assemblies are applying sealant material to the second and fourth edges of the insulated glass panel assembly, respectively. Additionally, the apparatus includes an output roller assembly for moving the sealed insulated glass panel assembly out of the sealant assembly.